Do You Think Catching a Big Bass is Luck?

[aarogb]

    I am talking about if you are not fishing known big fish waters and you are not using huge baits.  Also, if you aren't sight fishing for them.

    So watch do you ladies and gentlemen think?

    I just thought about this as an open debate, so don't bash me posting it.

   

[Dwight Hottle]

A quote from a fishing friend. "When preparation meets opportunity it is not luck." ;D

[bigtimfish]

Yes and No. I think it's luck if you are able to locate a giant. And I think it's luck that it wants to bite what your throwing. I think it's skill to persuade the monster to bite. Sometimes you can throw your whole tackle box at a fish and not get a bite. No matter what you throw,or how you present it. If a fish don't want to bite, it won't. But that's if your sight fishing. If you don't know it's there, it is ALL luck just for locating it.

[Shad_Master]

I'll be watching this thread with a lot of interest - our club always has a "Big Bass" pool (optional) at our club tournaments - it has always been my argument that this is "just one lucky cast" - but you would be surprised at the number of guys who swear they "only fish for big bass".  BTW, we also have a "calcutta pool" (i.e big stringer) that pays out 1st, 2nd and 3rd place - average payout for 1st place $35 - average payout for big bass $60 - $70 - doesn't make sense to me, that's why I never get in.

[ring fry]

Lee Travino once said, "The more I practice, the luckier I get."  I think this applies to golf, bass fishing, pool, and about any other skilled activity.  JMHO   8-)

[D4u2s0t]

If you can do something consitently, it's not luck.  sometimes, yes, you do get lucky.  but i don't think a rookie on his first day out is going to pull in too many 10 pounders.

[J-B]

IMO, I think that a mass majority of it is skill.  Lots of practice makes for a better presentation that will catch the big fish's attention.  If you have the skill, and knowhow, to make the bait you are fishing with look, or act like something that is enticing, you then have a much greater chance catching that big fish.  One also has to have some knowledge of what to look for to be able to catch that fish; examples: structure, water temperature, how to fish the type of water (clear, muddy, dingy) and what type of feeder fish are in that particular water.  I also think that there is luck involved with the big fish being there and wanting what ever type of bait you are throwing at that time.

JB

[Catt]

Every time you think you have the bass figured out they will prove to you that you don't

I have left the boat launch on many occasions believing I had all the percentages in my favor only to be skunked. In 07 I was zipping across the lake at wide open throttle when I get this felling I should stop at a spot that had never produced a double digit fish; followed the hunch and caught 3 over 10 pounds.

Luck? I don't know what you would call it

[WRB]

Catt, it's called intuition.

No, anyone can catch one big bass at anytime. To catch big bass consistently is a totally different ball game. The vast majority of bass fishermen don't have a clue where big bass live or how to catch them.

WRB

[Bass_Akwards]

It doesn't matter if it's luck or not on the first big bass.  There's a saying in Poker "Luck never gives, it only lends."  

Nothing can be truer.  Since you NEVER know if catching one huge bass is luck or not, you have to assume it IS luck until you start doing it more and more often.  After you catch big bass more and more often, you can assume it CAN'T be luck because as I said, "Luck never gives, it only lends"

So keep practicing and fishing and experimenting and you'll notice after a while you won't be asking "was that big bass I just caught just luck?" You'll KNOW it's skill after catching lots of big bass.

[fishfordollars]

You earn your luck. Lots of hard work and preparation.

[wisturkeyhunter]

1 big bass is luck s

several big bass is a whole bunch of things but not luck

[Raul]

Yes and no.

Anybody can luck out the first one, but "luckying" the next ones I don 't think so.

My first 10 pounder ---> luck

My PB ---> luck

All the rest in between ---> no siree.

So why I say my first 10 and my PB were luck ? wasn 't doing anything special or particular, I was just fishing and ¡ surprise !, the other ones, I went looking for them.

[SW Florida Kid]

It depends.

Every year, I get better and better at fishing. I keep on telling my fishing buddy that we are getting better and better.

I can only speak of my own experiences and I can tell you that the reason why I keep getting better is because of skill.

I'll start knowing the lakes I fish more and more every time I fish them.

I'll know what type of bait they like in a particular area.

I'll know which times to fish which places.

I'll know what certain spots fish hang out at.

I can talk all day about it, but the short answer is no... it isnt luck. The more a fisherman studies, experiences, fishes, and understands the aspects of bass fishing, the more often you are going to catch the big bass.

Just like someone said earlier. A rookie can luckily catch a big bass, but he wont be able to do it over and over again.

The experienced bass fisherman will be able to land bigger bass more often because they know the environment, circumstances, they know the bait better, they know what bass like.

Hope that helps the discussion.  

[NasTMcfingas]

You earn your luck. Lots of hard work and preparation.

X2 Good things come to those who wait and earn it.

[Fish Chris]

Their is certainly an element of luck involved. And I will definately take all the luck I can get :-)

I've often said, "I'd rather be the luckiest guy on the water, holding the lake record, that the most skilled angler, who got skunked" ;-)

Seriously though, I've definately caught a few big ones at times and places where I didn't think my odds were so great.... But then most of the time, I don't even bother to go fishing at all, if I don't think I have a good chance at sticking a big one.

I'd say the recipe is:

Go fishing at the best places, with the most big fish, as much as you possibly can. Try to use lures and baits known to catch big fish. Pay close attention to all the fine details. Find and follow the lead, of other successful big bass guys. {in other words, stack all of the odds as high as you possibly can, in your own favor} Throw in a big, fat scoop of luck, and Bam ! You really can't miss ;-)

Peace,

Fish

[bassman31783]

A bit of both.

Like fishfordollars said, you earn your luck.  However luck comes into play just a little when you catch any bass IMHO.  Sure you had your idea as to what lure, what color, what depth, and action the fish would want but it's up to the fish to say "Ok I'm going to eat that."  We do our best to imitate what we believe the bass wants to eat on that given day, but the ball is always in their court.  We have to trick the bass.  

[DINK WHISPERER]

Right place at the right time along with skill and persistence imo!

[Mottfia]

Their is certainly an element of luck involved. And I will definately take all the luck I can get :-)

I've often said, "I'd rather be the luckiest guy on the water, holding the lake record, that the most skilled angler, who got skunked" ;-)

Seriously though, I've definately caught a few big ones at times and places where I didn't think my odds were so great.... But then most of the time, I don't even bother to go fishing at all, if I don't think I have a good chance at sticking a big one.

I'd say the recipe is:

Go fishing at the best places, with the most big fish, as much as you possibly can. Try to use lures and baits known to catch big fish. Pay close attention to all the fine details. Find and follow the lead, of other successful big bass guys. {in other words, stack all of the odds as high as you possibly can, in your own favor} Throw in a big, fat scoop of luck, and Bam ! You really can't miss ;-)

Peace,

Fish

I complete agree with you, Fish Chris. My dad always says" I'd rather be lucky than good" but I think it always helped that he is pretty darn good to begin with.  ;D

Mottfia

[RoLo]

The whole idea is to factor out as much luck as possible.

The better you become at that, the more luck you will have

Roger

[Marshfisher]

I think it's partly both. Skill surely catches more but luck can help too.

I have a lack of both so anything is good for me  

[burleytog]

I'm living proof that luck exists.

Bad luck.

[cart7t]

22 years ago I was fishing Table Rock lake in early spring.  I pulled a brand new Rogue out of the package and prepared to weight it to get it to suspend (back then they didn't have suspending baits).  I was standing on the dock, casting and tuning the thing when a 5 1/2 lber hit.

That was luck.

I caught my PB, 8 1/2 lbs on a wiggle wart fishing a point in spring that I knew from experience held larger female bass at that time of year.

That was skill.  

[Fishing Rhino]

Let's take a look from this viewpoint.

Take the total number of small bass.  Of that number, tag an amount of them equal to the number of big bass.

Collect a ten dollar reward for each tagged bass caught.

Would you consider yourself lucky to catch one of the tagged bass?

As the tagged bass are caught, then returned to the pond sans tag, the small bass are fewer in number and thence harder to catch.  

When it gets down to one small tagged fish in the pond it will be much harder to catch that particular fish.

Some on here have posted that they are seeking only a record or real trophy catches.  They gladly sacrifice quantity for quality.

Since they only catch these super lunkers occasionally, and not on a regular basis, a certain measure of luck has to be involved.

Is it all luck?  Of course not.  Neither is it skill alone.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I just got off the water, fished 1am to about 8.  I threw 1 bait, a 9"/ 3 oz wake bait and got 4 fish over 4 lbs.

luck?

Definitely.

Lucky someone turned me on to these things a few yrs ago!!